Death toll from Indonesia boarding school collapse rises to 14

The death toll from the collapse of an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia’s East Java province has climbed to 14, officials said on October 4, as rescuers continue to search for dozens of students feared trapped under the rubble.

Hundreds of students, mostly teenage boys, were inside the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo when it collapsed on September 29. At least five students were killed in the immediate aftermath, while around 100 others were injured, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) chief Suharyanto told reporters that nine more bodies were recovered on October 3, raising the death toll to 14.

“As of today, we are still searching for 49 people who are still missing,” said Suharyanto, who goes by one name, according to broadcaster Kompas TV.

He added that more victims may still be found as rescuers deploy heavy machinery to reach areas where bodies are believed to be buried.

“After the last victim was found last night, we are focusing on a massive cleanup, with heavy equipment entering the collapsed areas,” Suharyanto said.

Identifying victims has proven difficult because many were minors without government-issued identity cards or fingerprint records.

“Some of the bodies were too badly damaged to be recognised visually,” he added.

According to BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre head Abdul Muhari, a total of 167 people were caught up in the collapse. Of those, 104 have been found alive and safe. Fourteen survivors remain in hospital, while 89 have been discharged and one transferred to another facility.

Residents reported that the force of the collapse was so powerful it sent tremors through the surrounding neighbourhood. Investigators are probing the cause, with early indications pointing to poor construction.

Officials said the rescue operation was made more complex by the risk that vibrations in one part of the rubble could destabilise other sections. Families of the missing agreed to allow the use of heavy equipment after the 72-hour “golden period” for survival had passed.

By Sabina Mammadli